WLP001 Starter Lag Time

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ultravista

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I built a 2L starter last night with a 6 month old slurry of WLP001 from a local brewery. The yeast was stored at 40 degrees and tasted/smelled ok.

For the starter, I dumped approximately 200ML of the slurry into the starter. The starter is in a 4L flask and on a stir plate.

It's been approximately 24 hours now with no signs of activity in the starter. Nothing.

Sure, it is a bit old, but given the volume of yeast, I was expecting some decent activity by now.

I have only used WLP001 a few times - none with a starter. Does this yeast take off slowly in low gravity wort?

I've got about 800 ML of slurry left in the container. If you were me, would you pitch more or let it do its thing?

My brew day is Saturday ...
 
I built a 2L starter last night with a 6 month old slurry of WLP001 from a local brewery. The yeast was stored at 40 degrees and tasted/smelled ok.

For the starter, I dumped approximately 200ML of the slurry into the starter. The starter is in a 4L flask and on a stir plate.

It's been approximately 24 hours now with no signs of activity in the starter. Nothing.

Sure, it is a bit old, but given the volume of yeast, I was expecting some decent activity by now.

I have only used WLP001 a few times - none with a starter. Does this yeast take off slowly in low gravity wort?

I've got about 800 ML of slurry left in the container. If you were me, would you pitch more or let it do its thing?

My brew day is Saturday ...

I would add some more, why not?
It's weird but I agree you should see some activity. Did you check gravity? Is it possible it is been fermenting super-slowly? How does it smell?
 
It smells ok and it did not ferment yet. I can easily tell, even with a stir plate, as it rises a bit and leaves a ring.
 
I have done starters on a stirplate where the only visible signs were very tiny bubbles rising, (you have to get really close to see them) and a change in the color of the wort to milky.

How did you make the starter. For that age I would have started with about .5 liter of 1.025 wort, let it run, then take that amount and do another step of the starter for the amount required for the beer.
 
Finally, approximately 26 hours after pitching, the fermentation has begun. The starter is taking off.
 
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